#007576

Lapshina Elena, from the village of Kholui, is the talent behind this beautiful work. The colors that she chose fully represent the theme depicted. The box almost appears cold to the touch. The subject of this scene is based on the popular Russian fairy-tale "Snowmaiden".
The chosen scene of this story is enchanting and romantic. The Snowmaiden walks through the forest at night with her animal friends as she dreams of what could be. She wonders of what love is and what it means to love someone. Her fate is sealed as she is a child of two ethereal beings. Therefore, her only requirement to survive among humans is not to love, as deemed by the Sun-god Yarilo.
The Snowmaiden's beautiful fur-lined overcoat keeps her warm in the crisp night air. Ultra-fine brushwork creates the cascading folds of the Snowmaiden's coat, the soft mane of the fur lining, her laced crown, and the light transparency of her snowflake embroidered veil. Her ivory-fair face gazes in quiet splendor, as the vibrant ruby breasted robins flutter in the bushes. Two fuzzy long-eared rabbits pause to greet her. Fine brushstrokes also create the needles of the pine trees, which have been weighted down by snow, the shimmering stars, and the fragile snowflakes. Gold paint is used to depict the thin silver of the crescent moon.
This composition is based on one painted by Anatoliy Kamorin in 1988. This Kholuy artist was the Kholuy Factory director from 1959 to 1999. Today his composition is one of the most popular scenes painted on lacquer boxes produced by the factory. The original is housed at the Kholuy Museum of Lacquer Art. The scene is framed with silver beading whereas the sides are decorated with a silver waving ornament.
The box is constructed from paper-mache. Black lacquer covers the exterior and red lacquer covers the interior of the box. The lid is hinged to the left of the composition and the box rests on a flat bottom. It is signed with the initials of the artist, the village of Kholui and the title "Snowmaiden".